Overview

• Aleix Espargaró withdrew from stage three of the five-day Tour of Austria after sustaining a suspected fracture near his right thumb.
• The 35-year-old Honda test rider crashed in rainy conditions on the second stage but still finished 70th with a 1:23 deficit before withdrawing.
• Espargaró shared images on Instagram showing significant swelling around his right thumb and detailed in a video that intense pain made braking impossible.
• He expressed regret over abandoning his professional cycling debut and extended well-wishes to the Lidl-Trek team for the remainder of the race.
• The former full-time MotoGP rider plans to assess his hand injury and hopes to resume his cross-discipline sporting pursuits soon.